When the Sunshine Dragons Abreast host their next regatta, it will be without one of their founders and biggest supporter, Sally Haugen, who died July 29.
After a diagnosis 30 years ago of breast cancer, Haugen dedicated a large part of her life to inspiring others living with the disease to use paddling to heal. When the cancer reoccurred in 2003, Haugen continued to exercise with her friends.
One of her longest friends on the Coast, fellow founder Gillian Kydd, recalled Haugen's tenacity in fighting the disease.
"She was just such an incredible person. She would go through bouts of chemo and have bad days, but that's when she paddled the hardest. She would give it her all and just collapse at the end. She was our Energizer bunny," Kydd said.
The paddle club came about on the Sunshine Coast in 2004. Before that Kydd, Gibsons resident Carol Standfield and former Roberts Creeker Sue Clyde went into Vancouver twice a week to paddle with Abreast in a Boat. Haugen, who was a part-time Coaster and member of the Vancouver club, quickly became friends with the local women. Soon the quartet wondered if there might be other breast cancer survivors on the Sunshine Coast who would benefit from paddling.
"There was an amazing response," Kydd recalled.
Haugen, who was much in demand around the world helping (primarily) women set up their own dragon boating teams, became instrumental in helping the local club join competitions.
"Sally worked on the Powell River Regatta every year. We started a club regatta. She was always in action. And, of course, at every regatta, there would be Sally dancing with her boa, always in pink, always looking like a million bucks," Kydd remembered.
When Haugen was interviewed in 2007 for a trip the Sunshine Dragons Abreast were making to an Australian regatta, she said that cancer had given her a new outlook on life.
"It makes you live very much in the present. Everyone who's had breast cancer says they learn to appreciate life. It's often a blessing in disguise," Haugen said.
Haugen came to our country in 1967 from the U.K. She had originally intended to go to Florida, but when her paperwork was stalled, she decided to visit Canada instead. And while her green card did eventually turn up, Haugen concluded Canada was meant to be, and here she came.
Haugen was a strong proponent of mammograms. She handed out many bookmarks and educated women at every opportunity on the value of the tests.
"Mammograms are the best tool we have for finding breast abnormalities," she said in the interview.
The always-smiling Haugen was an inspiration to many on and off the Coast. Her legacy to the local dragon boat group was memorialized in a ceremony earlier this month.
In addition to her legions of friends, she leaves to mourn husband Max, daughters Sonja and Gwen and their families. Donations in her name to the BC Cancer Foundation are welcome.
